Events of the First Half of the Tribulation (Part Four): Trumpets Five and Six

Prelude to the Woe Judgments, Trumpets Five through Seven

Rev 8:13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" NIV

• An eagle warns the inhabitants of the earth of coming woes. The threefold repetition of woes represent both their divine origin and the fact that three trumpets remain

The Fifth Trumpet, First Woe

Rev 9:1-12 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. NIV

• This is our third blackout
• Who or what is the star?
  • One again, a star used symbolically represents an angel
  • It would seem symbolic, since how could a star be given a key, but it is possible to see a literal meaning (with star as another meteor), up through verse 2

• But this woe is more than a physical threat, why?
  • The woe is locusts, who only harm people (who don't have the seal of God on their foreheads)
  • The locusts do not kill buy only torture people
  • The locusts have strange physical characteristics. The locusts are likely demons, fallen angels. If true, then sin has changed their physical characteristics
  • The locusts have a demon as their king, the angel of the Abyss, Abbadon (Hebrew) and Apollyon (Greek)
    • Abaddon means destruction or destroyer
    • Apollyon means destroyer and is a play on the word Apollo. Apollo is the god of the empire under his temple, and the locust was his creature

• This judgment has a time limit of five months
  • People will seek death, suicide, but will be thwarted in their attempts. It is a time of great despair

• The Abyss is a temporary place of confinement for fallen angels or demons. Final place is the lake of fire. This is where the demons did not want to go when Jesus rebuked them out of the two demoniacs
  • Luke 8:30-31 Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" // "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. NIV

The Sixth Trumpet, Second Woe

Rev 9:13-21 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.

17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood — idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. NIV

• What is similar about the second woe as compared to the first and what is different?
  • It is angel led but four angels versus one angel
  • The first is to torment, the second is to kill

• Are the two hundred million, humans or demon
  • Led by angels
  • Come from Babylon (Iraq), not from China
  • The description does not match humans (although it is potentially equipment)
  • There is no mention of the kings of the earth
  • Conclusion: probably demonic

• Joel describes a similar invasion
  • Joel 2:1-11 Blow the trumpet in Zion; // sound the alarm on my holy hill. // Let all who live in the land tremble, // for the day of the Lord is coming. // It is close at hand — 2 a day of darkness and gloom, // a day of clouds and blackness. // Like dawn spreading across the mountains // a large and mighty army comes, // such as never was of old // nor ever will be in ages to come. // 3 Before them fire devours, // behind them a flame blazes. // Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, // behind them, a desert waste — nothing escapes them. // 4 They have the appearance of horses; // they gallop along like cavalry. // 5 With a noise like that of chariots // they leap over the mountaintops, // like a crackling fire consuming stubble, // like a mighty army drawn up for battle. // 6 At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; // every face turns pale. 7 They charge like warriors; // they scale walls like soldiers. // They all march in line, // not swerving from their course. // 8 They do not jostle each other; // each marches straight ahead. // They plunge through defenses // without breaking ranks. 9 They rush upon the city; // they run along the wall. // They climb into the houses; // like thieves they enter through the windows. // 10 Before them the earth shakes, // the sky trembles, // the sun and moon are darkened, // and the stars no longer shine. // 11 The Lord thunders // at the head of his army; // his forces are beyond number, // and mighty are those who obey his command. // The day of the Lord is great; // it is dreadful. // Who can endure it? NIV

• APPLICATION:
  • Many Christians are frightened of witnessing. Part of the reason is that we disassociate how we live our life with the act of witnessing. Our primary witness should be our life. Our life should lead people to ask the question of what is different? If we look like the world, what good is it to verbally witness our faith since the result does not appear any different to the unbeliever?